From Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad

Zohran Mamdani has made history. The 34-year-old Asian American democratic socialist will now lead New York, the US’s largest city and the world’s financial capital, as its mayor.

A practising Muslim and advocate for Palestine, his constituents now include the largest Jewish community outside Israel.

A few weeks ago, I gave Rafizi Ramli the book “Run Zohran Run!” which chronicles Mamdani’s campaign, going from underdog status to becoming the overwhelming favourite. I inscribed a short note in it: “Dear Raf, to doing crazy stuff again!”

Many will focus on Mamdani’s unique background. However, there is something much deeper we all can learn from his remarkable victory.

The truth is that his campaign was a war on multiple fronts: not only against an increasingly Trump-ian Republican party, but also against a tired, overcautious Democratic establishment as well as well-funded billionaires hostile to his brand of progressivism.

Many, even some liberals, opposed his ideas about freezing rent hikes to improve New York’s dire housing situation and taxing the rich fairly to boost public services in the city, among other things.

Through it all, in the face of pressure to conform, Mamdani arguably stuck to his ideals. Yes, he engaged groups who were uncomfortable with him and stressed that he would be an inclusive mayor.

But he has not changed who he is or what he stands for. He resisted easy compromises simply for the sake of making vested interests feel comfortable, refusing to back down on unpopular but necessary truths.

How much he will actually achieve as mayor admittedly remains to be seen. It’s true that it’s one thing to win elections, but another to govern, especially a city as diverse and complex as New York, what more in the face of Donald Trump’s hostile federal administration.

Almost a century ago, the job of mayor of New York was dubbed as “the second toughest job in the US, after being president”.

Still, his campaign has spoken not only to the young but also voters from all walks of life and, indeed, has captured the imagination of people around the world. And while New York is a unique place, there’s a lesson to be learned in this very challenging juncture of global history.

It’s quite simple: authenticity and clarity matter.

Voters flocked to Mamdani not just because he was the so-called insurgent candidate but because he picked up the standard of progressivism that has arguably been fraying in US and elsewhere.

The dithering and indecisiveness of the Democratic party – including its failure to deliver on desired reforms like universal healthcare, free college education and to end America’s costly foreign entanglements – have arguably helped the rise of Trump just as much as its deindustrialisation and white anxiety has.

The Democratic establishment unwittingly created a vacuum which its progressive base has desperately wanted to be filled, but which their leaders could or would not for whatever reason.

And into this breach has stepped Mamdani as well as other progressives like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Mamdani’s interesting life story, charismatic persona and engaging social media presence really are only facets of his fundamental strength, namely that he understands that voters want change, that this change cannot be delayed without great cost to society’s fabric, and that New Yorkers now see him as the best person to deliver it.

It was this clarity, his knowing who he is and what he believes in, that has not only won over voters, including fence-sitters, but also forced his opponents to clarify what exactly they stand for as well.

What does this have to do with Malaysia?

Besides the fact that we really ought to be restoring local council elections for KL, I think it’s also a reminder that there’s a need to be true to ourselves.

Our political season, which is never dormant for long, is starting again with a vengeance. Sabah goes to the polls at the end of November. Sarawak will be next and some are even speculating that GE16 could be held as early as the end of next year.

Many of course will look to Mamdani’s campaign for inspiration. They will adapt his tagline, design and style of his social media, the turns of phrase from his speeches. But all of this will matter little if authenticity and clarity are forgotten. Style without substance means nothing.

Like people all over the world, Malaysians have time and time again voted for reform, especially Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PKR’s base.

In 2008, my colleagues and I were elected to public office despite our lack of experience. My opponent tried to belittle me by saying I was like a grandson to her. Repeatedly, in 2013, 2018 and 2022, Malaysians put their trust in us and after GE15, Anwar Ibrahim became prime minister of the unity government.

But Malaysians, arguably, are still waiting for reform.

It’s not that nothing has been done. But much more still needs to be accomplished, especially in terms of good governance and creating a truly dynamic, inclusive economy.

Even when we deliver on our promises, we seem to be scared of owning them, for fear of upsetting the vested interests, forgetting that through thick and thin, it was our core supporters that brought us to where Anwar, PKR and PH are today.

Like it or not, many are feeling restless or disappointed. This is the “Age of Vibes”: both the public and private sectors dismiss the power of emotion to our peril.

Very soon, the various parties will be putting forth their ideas and platforms to voters. The media and commentariat will also be trying to frame the debate based on their respective ideas and agendas.

I would argue that the best way forward for Malaysian progressives is to keep the ideas of authenticity and clarity at the forefront. We cannot forget that our voters want reform and, while it cannot be rushed, it cannot be delayed indefinitely or worse yet, reversed.

Do we still believe in reform? Do we still stand for fairness? For good governance and dignity for all Malaysians, not just for the powerful or the well-connected? If we do, then we must act like it.

We cannot take our voters for granted, assuming they have no one else to vote for but us. This was Tony Blair’s mistake in the UK.

We will be replaced if we do not seize the challenge to move Malaysia forward.

We owe our voters authenticity, and we owe them clarity. They must know who we are and what we stand for. We owe them the truth. It will not be easy, but the great, worthy causes in life rarely are.

This applies not only to political parties and their candidates but the whole ecosystem of public life in Malaysia: the corporate captains, leaders of civil society, influencers and media practitioners who shape public opinion.

We need to remember that the rakyat are our ultimate masters and we cannot disappoint them even as we seek to forge a better, sustainable future for Malaysia.

One certainly wishes Mamdani well. He has a long road ahead of him. It’s possible that one mayor cannot change the trajectory of America, but as I said, his victory has important lessons that leaders all over the world, including Malaysia, would be wise to heed.

Rafizi wrote a social media post last week about my gift. When we were staring at the possibility of losing in the party elections in May, we discussed what to do if that transpired.

Rafizi decided to resign but told me that he respected whatever decision I took. I decided to resign too – I had lost all my party positions and hence the mandate to push for far-reaching reforms.

It was only fair for the new office holders to be given a chance to be appointed to the Cabinet.

After our resignations, Rafizi asked me again: was it crazy to start all over again, having been Cabinet ministers?

“This is not the first time we did a crazy thing. Plunging into PKR, when it had no hope of ever becoming a government, was even crazier back then.”

When we helped to build the party and run in elections, we had thin resumes. When I ran in 2008 as a 26-year-old, PKR had only one parliamentary seat, with a smaller presence than Muda has today.

But we believed in fairness. We believed in multiracialism. We believed in reform. If power for power’s sake was my goal, I would have joined Umno or even PAS.

It’s time progressives embraced their core supporters, instead of picking fights or taking them for granted.

Voters are tired of progressives working hard to win over their opponents – an almost impossible task. They are tired of progressives who keep finding excuses for not sticking to their values.

Yes, winning power is important, but not as an end in itself. Rather, it is a means best used to make the country better for everyone.

Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad is MP for Setiawangsa. He was formerly a PKR vice-president and natural resources and environmental sustainability minister.

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.